


Heart to Heart

by NinesByDawn



Series: Post-Canon Ulumi Fics [1]
Category: Code Lyoko
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Dating, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:40:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23758510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NinesByDawn/pseuds/NinesByDawn
Summary: Oneshot. After shutting down the supercomputer and closing the chapter on Lyoko and XANA, there's only one more thing left for Ulrich to do. With a push from his good buddy, he finally has the conversation with Yumi they've both needed all this time.
Relationships: Odd Della Robbia & Ulrich Stern, Yumi Ishiyama/Ulrich Stern
Series: Post-Canon Ulumi Fics [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1727461
Comments: 8
Kudos: 32





	Heart to Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place shortly after the series and serves as my interpretation of how to close the series from a Ulumi perspective.
> 
> Song is "Nothing Compares" by The Weeknd. I don't own it. https://youtu.be/-1RTYqxlRoA
> 
> I realize this fandom is dead as hell, especially on here, so any support you leave would be greatly appreciated!

_I’ve been trying hard to find the words to say_

_If we tried again we’d make the same mistakes_

Ulrich stared at the ceiling in his room, his hands behind his head as he laid on his bed. It was already dark outside, and the only illumination in the room came from the single desk lamp that was still turned on. He shifted a little, but the thoughts inside his head were swirling much more vigorously than that.

_Asphyxiated_

_I’ll never make it_

_Without my baby_

_So I fill the void, I know you’d do the same_

Life after Lyoko had been a paradox. Yes, it had been tough for all of them to find meaning in school and other activities even with their newfound free time. The double life had provided a sense of structure for all of them, even if it did frequently cut into what they were supposed to be doing. At the same time, he’d been coping relatively well compared to what he was worried about in the immediate aftermath. He’d had more time to practice for the soccer team, more time to focus on school and appease his notoriously hard-to-please father, and even more time to hang out with the rest of the gang and do non-saving the world related stuff.

With one notable exception, of course. Ulrich sighed as his mind continued to focus on her. The “good friends” pact had already started to wear thin towards the end of their days on Lyoko. His doubts about both whether he could keep it up and whether she believed they could stay that way were getting louder. Though they saw each other less than before, nothing had really changed in their relationship. She would still wait for him after class on days she got out earlier, and they’d walk over to the rest of the group while chatting about whatever happenings or gossip was hot that day. He’d do the same in the mornings, which sometimes became painful for him due to overhearing Hiroki’s barbs at her just before they entered through the gate.

_Nothing compares to the emptiness we both share_

_Nobody cares like you do_

Ulrich gritted his teeth, and sank his head deeper into his pillow. He really still didn’t understand her, he had to admit to himself. He’d come close to confessing a couple of times already, or so he thought. Wasn’t him saying “I feel the same way about you” enough of a hint? He sighed again. Not even William was in the way now. She’d confessed to Ulrich shortly after that she only liked him as a friend, and asked Ulrich to understand and thus not be upset when he saw them hanging out. He’d promised her he’d be better, but a part of him was still gnawing at himself in anxiety. _She also told you we could be good friends_ , he thought to himself.

_You asked for my heart, but I didn’t know where to start_

_But they won’t think of you like I do_

He felt a sharp pang course through him. They’d been through _so_ much together. Never mind all the times they’d almost died. He thought about how they were always there for each other. The times he’d gone to her house, and comforted her over family drama and other personal issues. The other times she’d been there to listen to him, as he vented about everything from his parents to things that she probably couldn’t care less for, but still paid close attention to. Ulrich didn’t notice the single tear until it was halfway down his cheek, and cursed himself. Sitting up, he reached for a tissue when the door opened and his best friend walked through, dressed in his nighttime clothes with a towel draped on his shoulder.

“Going to sleep soon?” Odd asked as he sat down on his bed. He noticed Ulrich was wiping his eyes and had his earbuds in, and the smile he usually carried disappeared off his face. “Ulrich!”

“What?”

“Are you listening to ‘After Hours’ again?” Odd asked, putting his hands on his hips.

“So what if I am?” he grumbled as he tossed the tissue in the trash. He took his earbuds out, folded his arms, and leaned back against the wall, looking at Odd.

“I hate to tell you this, good buddy, but you’re kind of pathetic!” Odd exclaimed. Kiwi let out a bark from underneath his bed, startled at the sudden raising of his voice. “That’s a breakup album! You haven’t even tried with the girl of your dreams yet!”

“Leave me alone,” Ulrich muttered. “What’s with you today?”

“Ulrich, you’ve been like this ever since we shut that stupid supercomputer down,” Odd said. “I thought with more time you’d be able to come up with what you wanted to say to Yumi. But you’ve just been beating around the bush like the past two years!”

“You of all people should know we’re just good friends. And that’s. All.”

Odd’s eyes flared, and he jumped up from his bed, walking over so he was standing in front of Ulrich. “You know what, Ulrich? I have had it up to _here_ with you two!” He raised his hand high above his spiked up blonde hair. “You’re always dancing around each other, pretending like you don’t like each other. _You_ let William get in the way and confuse her! Then he disappeared for a while and still nothing between you two!”

“Why do you care so much all of a sudden?” Ulrich asked, arms still folded.

“Because I’m _tired_ of seeing my good buddy sulk around all the time,” Odd said, sitting back down. “At least when we still had XANA to fight you didn’t think about this as much. But now, I just see you like this all the time thinking about her! What are you waiting for?”

“I don’t know,” Ulrich sighed. He looked around at their small room in thought, before coming back to meet Odd’s exasperated expression. “I can’t tell what she’s thinking, Odd. I feel like I’ve already shown her everything. Then she just kind of brushes it off. And then later she comes back and gives me a kiss somewhere when I do something nice for her.”

“You haven’t shown her anything,” Odd said, folding his arms.

“What do you mean by that?” Ulrich asked, narrowing his eyes.

“How do you expect her to open up to you when you won’t open up to her?” Odd jabbed a finger at him. “You haven’t told her anything! If you want her to stop being wishy-washy, you gotta come clean. Don’t say ‘I feel the same way about you’ or any of that. You gotta tell her she’s the love of your life. You gotta let her know how much she means to you, and how you’re willing to change for her.”

“How do you know all of this?” he snorted. “And how do you know it’s gonna work? Why doesn’t she open up to me first?”

“Don’t ask ‘why me’, Ulrich, just do it,” Odd said, shrugging.

“Is that what you tell yourself when Jim gives you detention?”

“Not the same thing, good buddy,” Odd said, glaring at him. “But anyways, one of you has to start it, right? I know you better. I’m not gonna go up to Yumi and tell her that. She’ll think I’m delusional! But I’ve had a front row seat to this for too long. You’re both too scared of taking that next step, but one of you has gotta do it. And once you do, it’ll all fall in place!” Kiwi started barking again, and Odd muffled him with a toy bone.

“Right, because that works so well for you in your relationships.”

“Ulrich, do you know how lucky you are?” Odd said. “You have a girl who cares about you! You’re the most important person in her life, and same for her to you! You get along when you’re not getting jealous of each other because you didn’t talk about your feelings, and even when you fight, you always make up! I’m over here trying to find something like that! All these girls at Kadic and none of them feel that way about me!”

Ulrich sat back, letting the silence hang in the air for a moment as Odd finished. He thought about Odd’s words, and felt a pang again. It was true. It hurt that he’d already wasted so much time. But at the same time, that last step was always the hardest one to take.

“Fair points, good buddy,” he uttered at last.

“I’m done telling you to ask her out,” Odd decided. “I’m _ordering_ you to. Tell her how you feel, and then ask if she feels the same. What’s the worst you have to lose if she says no? It’ll be awkward, but not like it wasn’t awkward already between you two!”

“Alright, I’ll think about it,” Ulrich conceded. “I gotta think about what I’m gonna say.”

“Nope, you’re not dragging this out any longer,” Odd said, pointing at him again. “Do it tomorrow after class. And don’t come back here ‘till you do.”

“Tomorrow?!”

“Yes, tomorrow!” Odd repeated. “It’s a Friday! If she says no, you won’t have to see her for at least the weekend. Go straight from the heart. Tell her everything that’s on your mind. Don’t hold anything back.”

“Everything?” Ulrich asked, raising an eyebrow. “Like, even how William still makes me feel sometimes?”

“Well…” Odd looked up in thought for a moment. “Didn’t you say you were mostly over that? I guess you should probably apologize for all the bad stuff. You two have quite a lot of baggage too. I guess that’s why it’s been so hard too, huh?”

“Yep,” Ulrich said sullenly. “You know it hasn’t been all roses.”

“She’ll like it if you own it, Ulrich,” Odd encouraged.

“How do you know? Because you never apologize to the girls you date?” Ulrich said, sneering.

“Hey! My dirty laundry is my own!” he said indignantly. “You’d better start thinking about what you’re gonna say, and how you’re gonna say it.”

“Fine,” Ulrich sighed. He laid down on his bed, and started staring at the ceiling again.

“Do your best, good buddy,” Odd said to him, before turning off the light and laying down on his bed as well. “If it goes badly, I’ll be here for you to talk about it.”

“Thanks, Odd. You’re not joking about any of this, right?”

“Why would I be?” He leaned over on his side to look at Ulrich in the darkness.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Ulrich grumbled. “You usually think it’s funny to get the two of us worked up like that.”

“Trust me Ulrich, there’s nothing funny about this,” Odd said, taking on a serious tone again. “You’re both my good friends. I wanna see you guys happy. And the way I see it, and I’ve been seeing it, is you two are happiest when you’re together. Not this weird back-and-forth that’s been going on for so long.”

“Alright. I’ll take your word for it,” Ulrich said. “Hopefully it works.”

“I’m sure it will, good buddy.”

* * *

Ulrich spent the next day fidgety and unable to concentrate during class. He’d seen Yumi only during breakfast, as the group still ate together, and did his best to not give away his nervousness and try to act normal around her. Thankfully, she’d spent most of the meal talking to Aelita, allow him to either stare at his food or chat with Odd. He tossed around the words in his mind for the rest of the day, contemplating how to phrase them. He wanted to get it out there quickly, but also didn’t want to say anything that might upset her. As the bell rang on their last class, he walked out onto the grounds with Odd.

“So?” Odd asked, elbowing him a bit as they strolled over to near the vending machine. “Have you thought about it?”

“Of course I have,” Ulrich said annoyedly.

“Try not to say anything stupid,” Odd said, smirking. “And good luck. Where is she, anyways?”

“Beats me,” he said, shrugging. They stopped in front of the vending machine and he looked around at the crowds of students walking by, heading either home or back to the dorms. Sighing, he sat down and Odd followed, taking a seat next to him.

“Hey, there she is,” Odd pointed out. Ulrich looked to where he was pointing and sure enough, she was a little bit ways away from them, approaching them from the same direction they came from. Hiroki was walking alongside her.

“Hey guys,” she greeted as the two of them approached. “Where are Jeremy and Aelita?”

“Who knows,” Odd said, shrugging. “Probably working on some robotics project.” The two of them had been trying to find more things to occupy their intellectual minds, and the new robotics club at Kadic seemed like it was a fit for both of them. “Anyways,” Odd continued, “Ulrich here has something _important_ to tell you. Don’t you, Ulrich?”

Ulrich froze for a few seconds, looking between Yumi’s slightly puzzled expression, Odd’s smirk, and Hiroki’s mixture of confusion and curiosity. He exhaled, and the mental barrier in his mind went down along with his breath. “Yes, actually,” he began. He willed himself to look her in the eyes. “Uh, Yumi, I wanted to talk to you about something important. Do—do you have time right now?”

“Uh…” She looked at him, still a little puzzled. “Sure thing, I guess. Hiroki, wait here.”

“Sis!” he complained. “Let’s go home already! I’m hungry!”

“You can wait for a little bit longer,” she scolded. She leaned in closer to Ulrich. “How long is this gonna take?” she asked in a low voice.

“Uh, might be a little bit, actually,” Ulrich said nervously. Yumi raised an eyebrow.

“Well, let’s get going then.”

Ulrich nodded. “Right. Uh, we’re gonna go and talk now, if you guys don’t mind.” He shuffled around and turned to start walking towards the path to the woods, and Yumi followed.

“Bye now! Have fun!” Odd said, waving after them.

“Aw, man! What am I supposed to do now?” Hiroki said, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “I can’t go home without her!”

“Sure you can!” Odd said. “But…” He continued watching the two of them walk down the path, before they disappeared from his sight. Then, he turned to Hiroki. “Wouldn’t you like to know what Ulrich is gonna talk to your sister about?”

“Wait a minute…is he finally gonna ask her out?” Hiroki realized.

“Hopefully,” Odd said, resting his chin on his hand. “I had a good talk with him about it last night. And now I’m kind of forcing him to go for it.”

“You had better luck than I ever had,” Hiroki remarked. “She still hasn’t listened to me after all this time. It’s soooo clear she _loves_ him.”

“Everyone knows it,” Odd chuckled. “I just had to get a little more straight with him. It was hard, ya know? I’m not used to giving these pep talk type things. But I just got fed up with it. He’s been sulking around for so long now.” He held back telling Hiroki about the Lyoko factor for obvious reasons.

“Well, I’ve gotta wait around now. My parents get mad if I come back home by myself.”

“You don’t have to wait around, you know,” Odd said deviously.

Hiroki looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I was gonna follow them and watch from a distance,” Odd said. “I think they’re far enough down now that I can get started. You wanna come with?”

“Uh…well, yeah, sure!” he exclaimed. Odd grinned.

“Good. It’s time we see whether our ‘good friends’ can be more than that.”

* * *

“So, uh, how was your day?” Ulrich asked awkwardly as they kept walking down the path.

“Fine,” she answered. “I had a pop quiz in French. Don’t know if I did too hot on it.”

“I’m sure you did fine.”

“Thanks. What about you?”

“Uh, well, it was fine too,” he stammered. He tried to think about what had happened, but his mind was blank. He’d spent the day figuring out everything he was going to say, and hadn’t paid any attention to what had happened.

“That’s good.” She broke the awkward silence hesitantly. They kept strolling, until they reached a bench along the path. Up further ahead would be the manhole cover they had opened and gone down into so many times. “Ulrich,” Yumi said. He stopped and turned to her, as they stood in front of the bench. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Right,” he said, sitting down. Yumi sat down next to him and looked at him expectantly. Ulrich willed himself to meet her eyes, and tried his best to ignore his pounding heart and flushing in his cheeks as he maintained eye contact.

“Ulrich,” she said gently. “Are you…alright?”

“Uh, I’m fine,” he said. “I, uh, just wanted to say…to say…I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” she asked, confused. “For what?”

“For everything,” he said, breathing out. The sentences he had rehearsed had blanked from his head, but there was no going back now. “I’m sorry for all the times I didn’t mind my own business. And for all the other times I did stupid things for you or because I was jealous. And I’m…I’m just glad you’re still my friend.” He sighed and looked away from her, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Ulrich…” She stared at him as he looked off into the distance. “I’m…I’m glad you told me this. And-and…it’s okay. I’ve already forgiven you for all those times.” He turned to look at her again, her face now showing more vulnerability. “But…why are you saying this now?” 

* * *

“How do you think it’s going?” Hiroki whispered. The two of them were hiding behind a throng of greenery, close enough that Odd could see them but too far away for them to hear anything.

“I think it’s going okay,” Odd whispered back. He chanced a peek over the top of the bush, spotting them sitting on the bench. Ulrich turned away from Yumi and started looking off, and Odd quickly zipped beneath the bush, cursing his hair for being too much of a giveaway.

“Let me see,” Hiroki said, standing up. Odd put a hand on his shoulder and quickly pressed him back down.

“No can do, Hiroki,” Odd said. “You’re not tall enough to see over without having to jump. And that’ll make too much noise.”

“Says you,” he snorted. “You have to gel your hair up just to add a few inches to your height.”

“Fine then,” Odd said, furrowing his brow. “Let’s go hide behind those trees then if you wanna see so badly.”

* * *

“Yumi…” Ulrich put his hands on his head, irritated with himself. He didn’t want to look at her, but he couldn’t think of what to say next. It was getting uncomfortable for him.

“Ulrich,” she said softly. She took his hand and gently moved it off the side of his head, then placed her hand on top of his. He looked at her again, and felt his throat begin to clench. “Are you sure…you’re okay?” she asked.

“No,” he said. “Well, yes. I am okay. But, I’m also not okay. Gah!” He facepalmed with his other hand.

“Don’t,” Yumi said. “Ulrich, I…I’ll be here. Take your time.” She gripped his hand a little tighter.

“Okay.” He exhaled again, and met her eyes. “Yumi, I…I wanted to tell you this, because…I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately.” Her eyes widened the slightest bit, and she nodded a little in acknowledgement. “And…I wanted to, uh, ask you something.”

“Go on.”

“Yumi, I…so, I know we said we’d just be good friends.”

“I know, Ulrich. I’ve…been thinking about that a lot too,” she admitted. The slip surprised Ulrich a little bit, but it gave him a little bit of confirmation that he needed.

“Right. So, uh, I’ve really enjoyed being good friends with you, but…it’s…not what I want,” he confessed.

“So…what do you want then?” Yumi asked, her lip quivering a little.

“I want…I want to be more than good friends with you,” he said, letting it out. “You matter a lot to me, Yumi. You’re the most important person in my life. And…” He looked down for a moment to recompose himself, before meeting her eyes again. “Now, without Lyoko, or XANA, or all this stuff…” He gestured in the direction of the manhole cover. “I, uh…I think we have more time to do that. And that time has, uh, given me time to think about us, and where we are. So, I wanted to, uh, stop going in circles like we have been.”

“Ulrich…” Now she couldn’t meet his eyes. She took a few deep breaths, before looking back up at him.

“And Yumi, um…it’s okay to me if you wanna stay just good friends,” he stammered. It wasn’t to him, but he had too much respect for her to force her into something she didn’t want. “I’ll, uh, understand. But I just wanted to talk to you because…I wanted an answer. And, I guess, to see if you’ve changed your mind. Because…I have feelings for you. And, I just wanted to ask you to see what you thought of us, because I didn’t know.” He paused again, thinking about what to say next. “So, I uh, wanted to let you know how I feel, and how I see us. And again, it’s okay to me if you don’t see us that way.” He slumped back against the bench as he finished letting it all out. When he turned to look at her again, he was shocked to see the tears starting to form from her eyes.

“Ulrich…” She buried her face in her hands, and he awkwardly put an arm around her, trying to comfort her. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t done before, but it felt different this time, given the atmosphere. She leaned into him, staying like that for a moment before lifting her head and looking at him through her watery eyes. “I’m…sorry too, Ulrich.”

“For what?” he asked, concerned.

* * *

“Why is she crying?” Hiroki asked nervously, sticking his head back behind the tree. “Did Ulrich say something wrong?”

“Uh…” Odd couldn’t come up with a response at first. “Well, I guess it is emotional for both of them.”

“Do you think they’re gonna be alright? I don’t want Yumi to be upset.”

“I think so,” Odd said, trying to reassure him. “They have…a lot of history. I think it’s a good sign. I told Ulrich he had to come clean with everything. You’ll learn about this as you get older.”

“We’ll see,” Hiroki said, folding his arms. The two of them continued to sneak peeks at them from behind the thick tree.

* * *

“I, uh, haven’t always treated you the best either, Ulrich,” she admitted. “I just…didn’t know how to say it. So I kept turning you away.” Ulrich pulled out a tissue from his bag and handed it to her. She meekly said “thanks” and wiped her face with it. “I was afraid of taking the next step. And…I wanted to hear it from you. But I didn’t consider that…you might’ve also not known how to get there. And so I just told you we were gonna stay good friends because I didn’t wanna deal with that gray area anymore.”

Ulrich sat silently, still with his arm wrapped around her as her words echoed in his mind.

“Yumi…I, uh…” he started.

“Ulrich,” she said softly. “Can—can I finish?” He shut up immediately and nodded, and she smiled at him weakly. “Since…you’ve admitted these things, I might as well admit everything that I’ve been thinking too.” She turned her head away from him and looked straight ahead for a moment, before turning back to him. “I liked William because he wasn’t afraid to admit these things to me. It felt nice at first, and…it’s what I wanted from you.” Ulrich gritted his teeth for a second and looked down, but met her soft eyes once more to let her continue. “But…I never liked him like that, Ulrich. I’ve told you this. He was always just so pushy and clingy. And then you two started fighting, and I just wanted it all to stop. When I look back now, I realize I already knew who I wanted. But I didn’t make it clear enough then.”

“Yumi,” he said quietly. “Thank—thank you for telling me this.” He cursed himself immediately in his mind. That sounded so stupid out loud. However, she didn’t seem to mind.

“No, Ulrich. Thank _you_ for telling me.”

“Yumi…so, uh, what…do you want us to be then?” he asked uncertainly.

“I—I don’t know,” she said. Ulrich felt his heart sink, and sighed heavily. He fought against the urge to choke up as well, and let go of her, shoving his hands in his pockets again.

“Alright. Uh, thanks for letting me know, then,” he said dejectedly, as he started to get up from the bench.

“No, Ulrich. Please stay.” She put a hand on his shoulder firmly. Ulrich turned around, startled. “I—I didn’t say no,” she said, weakly smiling at him. Ulrich nodded, a faint smile appearing on his face as well, and sat back down next to her. Yumi put an arm around him this time, and the two of them huddled together. He could smell the scent of cherry blossom, not too strong but enough to leave a pleasant sensation in his nostrils.

“Yumi,” he started. “I—I’m sorry if I’m…coming across harsh, or whatever. But I just want…to settle things, I guess. And I want whatever makes you happy. If that’s staying good friends, then…just tell me.”

“That doesn’t make me happy, Ulrich,” she said softly. They looked at each other, their faces now inches from each other’s. “It—honestly, it never did.” Ulrich’s throat clenched again, and he found it harder to hold back his urges to break down now too. “Ulrich, I also…like you as more than just a good friend.”

That was it. The tears started streaming down his face, and he couldn’t make them stop. He quickly grabbed another tissue from his bag and covered his eyes with it. Yumi held him closer, and waited for him, just as he did for her earlier.

“I’m afraid, Ulrich,” she said quietly. “It just…sounds so stupid. But I am.”

“Afraid of what?” he asked, his vision still a little blurry.

“I’m afraid of opening up like I never have before,” she said. “Of…being able to trust someone and let them know all about…the things that I think about, the other things that I’m afraid of. And it’s stupid because…I already trust you like that. I trust you with my life. You know so much about me. You always know how to cheer me up, you always know when I’m upset, all of that.”

“I’m afraid too,” he said, wiping the last of the tears from his face. They stared at each other, both of them emotional. “I was afraid of putting myself out there. And of opening up. This is still…kind of uncomfortable for me.” She smiled at him a little and nodded her head, and it eased his tension a little more. “But, now that I’ve said everything, it doesn’t feel like it’s as hard as it was before. And…I’m willing to try. With you, Yumi.” He extended his hand out, palm facing upward. She gently grasped it, and they held their hands there together. Ulrich felt a weight begin to lift off of him, and his throat unclenched as he stared at the girl of his dreams.

“Then…I say yes, Ulrich,” Yumi said. “Let’s be more than good friends. Let’s be…partners.”

“Yumi…”

“It won’t be easy,” she said quietly. “But, you’re right. It’s about time we both stopped circling each other. And just admitted our feelings.”

“Yumi. You can—you can trust me. I’ll be here for you.”

“I know, Ulrich. I’ll be here for you too.” With that, she placed both her hands on his cheeks and pulled him in close. He let go of all his doubts and anxieties, and closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around her. Their lips met, and an electrifying sensation ran down his spine. He pulled her in tightly, keeping his lips in place as he began to feel a sense of floatiness throughout his body. They kept there for what seemed like eternity, and everything else in the world seemed to disappear from his senses. The only thing that mattered was Yumi Ishiyama, his love, and the fact that they had both finally spilled their hearts for each other.

* * *

“Yes!” Odd hissed. He violently fist pumped a few times, while Hiroki started clapping. Odd’s eyes widened, and he grabbed Hiroki’s hands. “Hey, we still can’t make noise, you know!” he whispered.

“Sorry!” Hiroki replied. They’d been watching for a while now, and although neither of them could hear what the two were saying, they had been taking turns watching their body language. And, judging by it, they’d gotten deeper and deeper into finally confessing to each other. Odd held up his hand and Hiroki gave him a quiet high five, and the two of them snuck another look at Ulrich and Yumi.

“I gotta get this moment in history,” Odd said, grinning. He held up his phone and snapped a few shots of the two of them.

“Send those to me,” Hiroki said. “I gotta have that moment for our family too.”

“No problem. Just let me do something with them first.”

* * *

Ulrich pressed his forehead against hers as they broke for air at last. He opened his eyes, and gazed into hers, which had also fluttered open.

“This is what should’ve happened on Lyoko,” he whispered.

“Shut up,” she murmured, and closed her eyes, leaning in again. Ulrich’s lips upturned in a smile before they kissed again. He felt the years of torment wash away in this one moment, replaced by an indescribable happiness. Finally, she let go of his cheeks and they separated. The smile on her face was radiant, and he almost felt as though he was going to start floating away from her with how much joy he was filled with. They held their hands tightly together, sitting on the bench in the late afternoon sun.

“Ulrich.”

“Yeah, Yumi?”

“Will you go on a date with me?” she asked.

His eyes widened at her question. “That—that was what I was gonna ask you, actually,” he said sheepishly.

“I know, dork,” she teased.

“Well, uh, yes! Yes,” he said quickly, nodding his head vigorously.

Yumi smiled. “Good.”

“So, uh, where to, then?” he asked awkwardly.

“Let’s…figure that out later,” she said. “We have the whole weekend. And Hiroki’s probably waiting for me. You can call me tonight.”

“Alright, will do,” he said, grinning. They got up and started the walk back to Kadic. As they did, he took her hand in stride, and she smiled at him, as they held hands the rest of the way back.

Odd had his feet up on his bed and was smirking when Ulrich entered the room.

“So, good buddy,” he said knowingly. “How’d it go?”

“It was tough,” Ulrich admitted. “Really tough. But…”

“But?” Odd grinned widely.

“It worked,” Ulrich said with a smile. “I, uh, have a date soon.” Odd let out a whoop and leapt up from the bed, hugging him.

“I’m happy for you two,” Odd said after hugging him. “I really am.”

“You really helped me this time, good buddy,” Ulrich said. “I owe you a lot.”

“It’s nothing, Ulrich,” he dismissed, waving his hand. “Besides, you’re gonna kill me once you see this anyways.”

“See what?” Ulrich asked, confused.

“This,” Odd said, holding up his phone and laughing. Ulrich peered at the photo on the screen and saw the two of them kissing. His temper flared and he grabbed Odd by the collar.

“You little—!” he started. “You followed us?!”

Odd held his arms up in innocence. “Don’t worry, Ulrich. I didn’t pull any pranks.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I swear I didn’t!” he protested. Ulrich let go of him and folded his arms. “I only did it to capture your moment. For you, Ulrich.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Here,” Odd said. He opened his bag and pulled out a larger photograph of the same scene and handed it to him. “I didn’t share it with anyone, Ulrich, I swear. I ran to the computer lab and got this printed out just in time. It’s for you! Hang it up on your wall or put it in your diary, good buddy. It’s a great moment and you’ll wanna remember it.”

“Uh, thanks,” Ulrich said uncertainly, looking at the photo. It was a little grainy with how much it was blown up, but he did have to admit it was a good shot of them.

“I told you you’re lucky, Ulrich,” Odd said, sitting back down on his bed. “Who ever gets to have their first kiss photographed? And with the love of their life, no less. Anyways, I’ve gotta run to the store to pick up some things for Kiwi soon. Don’t let love get to your head, good buddy.”

Ulrich didn’t respond, still looking at the photo. As Odd fumbled around his room and got ready to leave, a smile spread across Ulrich’s face. He reached into his drawer and pulled out his diary from the very back corner of the largest compartment. Flipping it open, he slipped the photo into the most recent page and shut the diary. Gazing outside the window, he kept smiling. They were together at last.


End file.
